Question of the Day

Did illegal voters swing any congressional races?

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay Uruguay's president announced yesterday that his country was breaking diplomatic ties with Cuba, days after Uruguay sponsored a U.N. human rights vote targeting Fidel Castro's government.

The surprise announcement by President Jorge Batlle came as the Uruguayan leader charged Cuba with a series of insults against this South American nation.

Cuban President Fidel Castro, who was speaking live on a government television program in Havana when the announcement was made, characterized Mr. Batlle as "a lackey."

6 war-crimes suspects to give up in The Hague

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia Six Serbian war crimes suspects, including two senior allies of ousted President Slobodan Milosevic, will give themselves up to the U.N. court in The Hague, the Yugoslav government announced yesterday.

Their surrender will be the biggest catch of Serbian indictees for the war crimes tribunal since Mr. Milosevic was extradited in June 2001 to the Netherlands-based court.

It was not clear, however, whether the move would be enough for the United States to unblock about $40 million in aid that was frozen when Belgrade missed a March 31 deadline to turn over suspects to the tribunal.

Britain says no to Kissinger interview

MADRID Britain has told a Spanish judge investigating crimes committed under military dictatorships in South America that he cannot question Henry Kissinger during his stay in London this week.

Judge Baltasar Garzon asked the British authorities last week to allow him to question the former U.S. secretary of state, who was to attend a convention today.

Judge Garzon wants Mr. Kissinger's testimony as a witness in connection with "Operation Condor," a plot by former military dictatorships in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay to persecute and eliminate their opponents during the 1970s and 1980s.